Next terror target named

Security officials eyeing sleeper cells in Europe

TEL AVIV – Chatter within jihadist groups combined with intelligence information collected by European and Arab countries indicates the next major terrorist attack could target the Netherlands, according to informed Middle Eastern security officials speaking to WND.

The security officials said a joint effort between European and Arab security services has resulted in the drafting of a list of hundreds of names of potential jihadists, mostly European residents, who could be a part of a series of sleeper cells in Europe. There is an effort to track down the locations of the suspects.

The officials said the list also includes more than 100 suspects who are originally from Chechnya as well as foreign suspects from Palestinian camps in Syria and Lebanon, some of whom may currently be in Europe.

Advertisement - story continues below

The officials said there is information indicating the next attack could take place in the Netherlands, with particular emphasis on Holland. There is also a specific threat against Belgium.

The officials said they fear an upcoming publication by Charlie Hebdo, the French satirical magazine that was targeted in last week’s terrorist massacre, will feature a depiction of Islam's founder, Muhammad.

The officials said they believe the jihadists will use the depiction as a pretense to carry out further attacks.

Yesterday, the U.K. Guardian quoted a lawyer for Charlie Hebdo stating the memorial edition of the magazine, slated for Wednesday, would “naturally” feature cartoons of Muhammad along with jokes about other religions.

Advertisement - story continues below

On Tuesday, WND reported Algeria’s intelligence services passed information to several European countries indicating there are at least 20 sleeper cells with a combined total of 120 to 180 jihadists ready to act in France, Germany and Belgium.

Many members of the cells were trained in Tunisia, according to an Algerian intelligence report that was shared with WND by a European official. The report was provided to European interior ministers.

The document also deals with the issue of European citizens traveling to Iraq and Syria to join Islamic terrorist organizations. The Algerian report fingers Saudi-financed mosques in Europe as helping to lead the recruitment of European jihadists to fight in Syria and Iraq.

The Algerians identified by name more than 100 clerics in Western Europe as leaders of the recruitment campaign, which the Algerian report says is coordinated with Salafists mostly located in Tunisia, Yemen and Libya.

Yesterday, French law enforcement officers were directed to carry their weapons at all times "because terror sleeper cells have been activated over the last 24 hours in the country," according to a French police source who attended a briefing Saturday and spoke to CNN terror analyst Samuel Laurent.

Advertisement - story continues below

Amedy Coulibaly, the terrorist suspect killed on Friday after holding citizens hostage in a kosher market, made phone calls about targeting police officers in France, the source told CNN.

Hostages inside the market also reported hearing Coulibaly speaking on the phone about the targeting of police officers in France.

According to reports, the hostages said Coulibaly told them "militants are going to come – there are going to be more and more."

According to reports, the hostages said Coulibaly told them that "militants are going to come. There are going to be more and more."